Malawian Girls Rock Leads COVID-19 Campaign

A problem that originated thousands of miles away has become a burden to Malawians. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the disappearance of thousands of livelihoods. Even in countries that have contained it, the economic and social impact lingers. However, some people still doubt the existence of the virus in Africa. Malawian Girls Rock is bringing a formidable team of women through a campaign to help raise awareness of the virus.

The Malawian Girls Rock campaign consists of media personalities, leading voices in the entertainment sector, and artists. Some of the artists on the list include Aycee, Sangie, Kim of Diamonds, Beanca, Rina, and others. According to Hazel Mak, the founder of Malawian Girls Rock, the campaign is virtual. Over the next few weeks, all the women involved will dish out motivational messages. Highlighting the positives of the pandemic, Mak said,

“The industry itself stays evolving. We must move with the times and create different ways to interact with our fans. Businesses find different ways to survive and so we must do the same. It should also stand as a wakeup call for female artists to be more involved in different ways of making money and not placing all eggs in one basket.”

Mak is not the only one that is seeing the positive side of the pandemic. Rina, one of the participants of the campaign said,

“This has affected the arts as a whole but has given room for growth. Creatives must now look at ways of monetizing their talent during this lockdown. Gladly it has already begun with the encouragement of music single and compilation sales along with online concerts.”

Other girls’ initiatives leading the war against COVID-19

The Malawian Girls Rock is not the only female initiative fighting against COVID-19. Initiative for Girls and Women Empowerment (IGWE) Foundation earlier embarked on a massive campaign in the Phalombe and Chiradzulu Districts. The foundation made a donation of soap to elderly people and vulnerable girls. The aim was to cushion the impact of the pandemic. Speaking at the launch of the initiative in Chiradzulu, the executive director of the foundation, Emmanuel Mwandama said,

“We have seen the need to be providing this to most deserving citizens. The goal is to reach every village in Chiradzulu and Phalombe with the understanding that every citizen is prone to this virus and the only way to prevent it is when people are aware on how best they can avoid the spread of the disease. To achieve this objective, we appeal to the general public, organizations, and well-wishers for more financial and material support so that we can reach out to more beneficiaries.”

As of the time of this report, Malawi has recorded 70 cases of COVID-19. The country has 3 fatalities and 27 recoveries. However, the figures can be misleading considering the fact that most African countries are not doing enough testing. So far, the best remedies against the virus are social distancing and personal hygiene.

About Malawian Girls Rock Movement

Malawian Girls Rock is an initiative by award-winning recording artist Hazel Mak and award-winning DJ, Nathan Tunes. The initiative is the first of its kind in Malawi. The aim is to empower women, promote education, and enable the interaction of female entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals.

According to Populaire Life, the aim of the founders is to “provide girls with the tools and knowledge they need to preserve their optimism, restore their confidence and help them create a better Malawi!” those who need more information about the initiative or want to support can send a mail to [email protected]. On the choice of an online campaign, Mak said,

“The safety of our fans remains paramount to us more so in the long run. It would be careless if we were to go against any agreed norms.”